1 Corinthians 15:37

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
that	εἰ ei	G1487	if · conditional particle
which	ὃ ho	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative singular neuter
sowest	σπείρεις, speireis	G4687	to scatter · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
sowest	σπείρεις speireis	G4687	to scatter · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
not	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
that	τὸ to	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — accusative singular neuter
body	σῶμα sōma	G4983	the body (as a sound whole) · noun — accusative singular neuter
that	τὸ to	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — accusative singular neuter
be	γενησόμενον genēsomenon	G1096	to cause to be ("gen"-erate) · verb — future middle deponent participle, accusative singular neuter
but	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
bare	γυμνὸν gumnon	G1131	nude (absolute or relative · adjective — accusative singular masculine
grain	κόκκον, kokkon	G2848	a kernel of seed · noun — accusative singular masculine
chance	τύχοι, tuchoi	G5177	akin to the base of G5088 (τίκτω) through the idea of e… · verb — second aorist active optative, 3rd person singular
wheat	σίτου sitou	G4621	grain · noun — genitive singular masculine
or	ἤ ē	G2228	disjunctive · conjunction
some	τινος tinos	G5100	some or any person or object · indefinite pronoun — genitive singular neuter
other	λοιπῶν· loipōn	G3062	remaining ones · adjective — genitive plural neuter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

The apostle comes now to answer a plausible and principal objection against the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, concerning which observe the proposal of the objection: Some man will say, How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Co1 15:35. The objection is plainly two-fold. How are they raised up? that is, "By what means? How can they be raised? What power is equal to this effect?" It was an opinion that prevailed much among the heathens, and the Sadducees seem to have been in the same sentiment, that it was not within the compass of divine power, mortales aeternitate donare, aut revocare defunctos - to make mortal men immortal, or revive and restore the dead. Su…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 15:37

not that body that shall be--a body beautiful and no longer a "bare grain" [BENGEL]. No longer without stalk or ear, but clothed with blade and ears, and yielding many grains instead of only one [GROTIUS]. There is not an identity of all the particles of the old and the new body. For the perpetual transmutation of matter is inconsistent with this. But there is a hidden germ which constitutes the identity of body amidst all outward changes: the outward accretions fall off in its development, while the germ remains the same. Every such germ ("seed," Co1 15:38) "shall have its own body," and be instantly recognized, just as each plant now is known from the seed that was sown (see on Co1 6:13).…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 15:37

Thou sowest not that body that shall be - This is decomposed, and becomes the means of nourishing the whole plant, roots, stalk, leaves, ear, and full corn in the ear.

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:37

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be,.... The sower, for instance, does not take a stalk of wheat in its blade, and ear, and full corn in the ear, encompassed with the husk, and sow it in the earth, which is the body or form in which it appears when it rises up again, and is come to its full growth: but bare grain (or naked grain) it may chance of wheat, or some other grain; wheat, or any other grain, is cast into the earth naked, beat out of the husk; and that selfsame grain rises up again, clothed with additional verdure, beauty, and fruitfulness; and so the body which comes out of its mother's womb naked, and returns naked again, Job 1:21 to which the apost…

The Church Fathers

The power which exists in a grain of wheat refashions and restores the grain, after its corruption and death, into a body with stalk and ear.
— Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 2.10.3

If a seed dies and comes back again with so much additional benefit to the human race, why is it incredible that a human body should rise again, by the power of God, with an equally improved substance?
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

Indeed, since he proposes as his examples "wheat grain, or some other grain, to which God giveth a body, such as it hath pleased Him; " since also he says, that "to every seed is its own body; " that, consequently, "there is one kind of flesh of men, whilst there is another of beasts, and (another) of birds; that there are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial; and that there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars" -does he not therefore intimate that there is to be a resurrection of the flesh or body, which he illustrates by fleshly and corporeal samples? Does he not also guarantee that the resurrection shall be accomplished by that God from whom proceed all the (creatures which have served him for) examples? "So also," says he, "is the resurrection of the dead.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Adam — Red, a Babylonian word, the generic name for man, having the same meaning in the Hebrew and the Assyrian languages. It was the name given to the first man, whose creation, fall, and subsequent…
Immortality — Perpetuity of existence. The doctrine of immortality is taught in the Old Testament. It is plainly implied in the writings of Moses (Gen. 5:22, 24; 25:8; 37:35; 47:9; 49:29, comp. Heb. 11:13-16; Ex.…
Sin — Is “any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God” (1 John 3:4; Rom. 4:15), in the inward state and habit of the soul, as well as in the outward conduct of the life, whether by…
Body · Resurrection of — Resurrection of
Botany · Laws of nature in the vegetable kingdom uniform in action — Laws of nature in the vegetable kingdom uniform in action
Immortality · 2:11; — 2:11;
Resurrection · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Resurrection, The · Is not contrary to reason — Is not contrary to reason
Seed · General references — General references

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Corinthians 15:37

Word by word — the Greek

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 15:37

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 15:37

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:37

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 15:37

Word by word — the Greek

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 15:37

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 15:37

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:37

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 15:35-50

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 15:37-39